Read the following quote by Dr. Pamela Brown, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs:
Learning is a source of hope for a better future. It requires hard work and sacrifice which can be even more difficult in challenging times. Your time in college is also your opportunity to connect with others, lift your spirit, enrich your life, and develop the skills and knowledge to make a difference in your community.
— Dr. Pamela Brown, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Choose a question below and write a reflection in the comment box at the bottom of this page.
- What life experiences have prepared me for college?
- When I have been faced with a difficult situation, what strategies did I use to find a solution?
- How will I create positive academic habits for myself?
Read and comment on another student’s post. These are your classmates, encourage them to work towards their goals.
The life experiences I would say that prepared me for college would be the last bit of experiences I had in high school. In my last year which was my 11th grade year my counselor suggested that I take on at least 4 night school classes and I definitely agreed with her on that. When she got me started up I took night classes for one semester which was last year fall. I thought It was going to be like day time school but it was the complete opposite. The classes was each 1 hour 30 minutes long and the teachers wasn’t engaged at all , at least one teacher was. They threw work loads on us and it was due the next class not even the following week. It wasn’t until the last day of the night school where I received 4 extra credits for my transcript did my economic teacher which was the only teacher was engaged with the class told use that night school was supposed to give us a feel on what its going to be like in college sitting in long classes, having work thrown on you, receive a poor learning base and that you need to be able to seek and help yourself because these professors have hundreds of kids to teach and its nothing like high school. With that information I took it to my day school and I began asking for more help to improve my grade before the second semester was done and before you knew it I graduated my junior year.
Thanks for sharing Nellaradhya!
I am so glad to hear you used your difficult experiences to learn what you don’t want to do. I am sorry that those night classes were so dreary, but it seems as though it paid off to graduate so early! It’s important to know when to ask for help, and it seems that you made the right decision in working harder to fulfill your day school responsibilities rather than trying to work with careless night school professors.
In college, it is very important to create healthy and positive academic habits that will fuel my success. One way i have created a positive habit in school as of lately is looking over my notes after every class to ensure that I understand the material. I take at least 1-2 hours out of my day to look over the notes/ powerpoint slides to really make sure I understand. Another habit I have implemented in my routine is making flashcards for every topic that I have learned. For example, in my sociology class, there is about 8 lectures that we have had so far. After every lecture, I make flash cards about the vocabulary/topics and on spare time, I make sure to look over them. So by the time I have an exam, I have retained all the information and I do not have to cram. I have found this very helpful in my academic career so far.
Wow! I am impressed Shanaya, to hear that you have created these wonderful habits for yourself which will only benefit you and no one else. Stay consistent with these habits and I am sure you will succeed in anything you set you mind to.
-I will create positive academic habits based on experiences. I learned that a good way to keep track of what I have due would be to keep a journal/calendar to keep track in. Another habit I have is creating study guides for myself to help with an upcoming quiz or exam. Another habit I have is I tend to look back at my notes and make sure they’re organized based on class and date to help find it easily.
Great way to start Jazilyn! I’m happy to hear that you have created these habits for yourself. Good luck!
I create positive academic habits based off of experiences. I know that I tend to forget due dates so I began using a planner to help me keep track of certain due dates and exams. Another positive habit is that I like to create my own study guides to help prepare me for upcoming test and I like reviewing my notes and looking back at the class notes since they are usually posted, to help refresh my memory along wit write down anything I might have missed.
I will create positive academic habits for myself by being positive and getting my work done. I will also create a healthy and positive mindset that will push me to do my best and will push me to pay attention and intake all the important information.
I think that’s a great attitude to begin college with is by being positive! I suggest keeping your end goal in mind to keep you going. Good luck with all your endeavors.
I would say the endless workload because I’m semi used to the workload it’s just my time management that I need to work on
Hi Jamie!
I completely agree with you. Time management is such an huge part of our lives as people, and especially as students. The workload seems endless, but taking on each assignment one at a time will help you stay motivated and keep your accomplishments up. Thanks for sharing, you’re doing great!
In my life, when I first was going to school, there was a lot of hand holding throughout the process and that changed over time. As the grades went higher, they prepared us to become more independent over time. These things helped prepare me for college because in the college environment, we have more freedom and independence to get things done the time we are given and its up to us. There isn’t anyone reminding you, you have to hold yourself accountable. And when it gets stressful, the best thing for me is to always take a step back and remind myself of the importance of this and why I’m doing it. It’s motivation. setting a schedule on my phones helps keep things in order for me a lot
Hi Terrisha!
I’m glad you took on keeping your schedule on your phone to keep things in order. Keeping your assignments and what needs to be accomplished somewhere you look everyday (like you phone) will keep you in check and ensure you are focused on what needs to be done. I appreciate your motivation tactic and the idea of “taking a step back” to remember what you’re in college for. You are doing a great job, keep it up!
Having a planner will create a positive academic habits for my self. Knowing that you have to be responsible with your assigments can be very different and having the time to do it.
I can adopt good study habits. I learned that it’s a helpful way to remember when things are due. To be organized, I must make sure to have a notebook or calendar. To study for an upcoming test or exam, I can make study guides for myself. I can also analyze my notes to be sure that they are organized by class and date to make it easier to analyze and solve problems. I must keep a positive attitude and insure that I do all of my tasks on time. I will also adopt a positive and have a good mindset that will motivate me to give it my all, pay attention, and take in all the important information that I need to know.